Municipality protest over pandemic allowances

The Ga-Segonyana local municipality employees took to the streets demanding Covid-19 allowances as granted by government, but which never reached their palms.

The peaceful protest took place at the municipal workshop on January 11, 2021. Following their grievances, management convened a meeting over the matter and eventually referred the matter to council for debate. However, according to reliable sources, government is clasping at straws as funds are overstretched to cushion workers with these allowances. Front workers in the direct fight with disease hardly receive these allowances, because government coffers are said to be at their lowest.

In response to the plight of these workers, proposals were afoot that council has to come with a policy document for approval that will be the guiding tool in the event that funds have been accrued to honour government’s pledge. In essence, the policy document does not yet have the money in question, but it has to be formulated in readiness for the funds to be procured.

While workers did not question the availability of funds when they decided to go to the streets, it remains to be seen whether or not they will give management space to come up with a solution.

The Kathu Gazette spoke to some of the workers and they sounded apprehensive about the issue, saying that allegedly some municipalities had received the Covid-19 allowances without questions being raised. “We will give the municipality ample time to look into the matter decisively. Government had pledged the allowances, because it deemed it fit to cushion workers during these hard times. Times are hard and workers cannot make ends meet, as lockdowns keep on being re-activated. These allowances can make a big difference and should be honoured,” protestors exclaimed.